The neighbors erupted into a chorus of whispers.

“What an ungrateful viper! Truly untamable!”

“Poor Quinn. She worked herself to the bone to raise a top student, only to have her snatched away by money.”

“All that education, wasted. A heartless creature!”

I ignored their cruel whispers, my gaze cold and fixed on my mother.

“Mom, it’s been sixteen years. Aren’t you tired of living like this? I don’t want to squeeze into this rental anymore, where we can’t even afford to run the AC. I want designer clothes. A luxury car. I want to be someone. He can give me that. You can’t.”

Every word was a knife—plunging into her heart, and just as deeply into my own.

A familiar, sharp cramp twisted in my abdomen. I dug my nails into my palm, using the pain to push back the coppery taste of blood rising in my throat.

I couldn’t vomit. Not now.

In my mother’s eyes, shock flickered, then heartbreak—finally settling into the cold ash of defeat.

She looked at me as if I were a stranger. After a long moment, a bleak, broken smile touched her lips. She picked up the pen and signed the agreement Caleb’s assistant had prepared.

The characters of “Quinn” were scrawled, shaky, soaked in despair.

“Good. Very good.” Caleb smiled with satisfaction, gesturing for another check—eight million.

He wrapped an arm around my shoulders, pulling me close as he led me out, like a man parading a prized trophy.

We left the dilapidated apartment building. I slid into the black Bentley. Through the rearview mirror, I took one last look at the place that raised me.

My mother stood alone at the mouth of the stairwell—a statue abandoned by the world.

In that moment, my heart tore in two.

One half bled. The other froze solid.

Mom, I’m sorry.

Forgive me for leaving you in the cruelest way.

Because my life is on a countdown. With this decaying body and the little time I have left, I must pave a clean, bright future for you.

Caleb owes us, Mother. I’ll make him pay back every debt—with blood and interest.

Caleb's mansion was not so much a home as an ice palace.

Everything glittered with a sterile, moneyed sheen—the crystal chandelier, the marble floors, the sweeping staircase—leaving not a trace of warmth.

My "new family" was already waiting in the living room.

Jessica, the lady of the house, wore a Chanel suit and flawless makeup; her gaze, as it swept over me, felt like she was pricing a piece of inventory.

My half-sister Susan, a year younger, resembled a porcelain doll. Her eyes held nothing but naked hostility and contempt.

Then came the twin brothers, Brian and Mark. One fixed me with a defiant glare, the other wore a plastic smile. Neither bothered to hide their resentment toward this sudden "sister" who had crashed into their world.

"Darling, so this is Mariah?" Jessica pasted on a saccharine smile and reached for my hand. "What a lovely girl. From now on, consider this your home. You can call me Aunt Jessica."

I bowed my head, playing the timid, wide-eyed role. "Aunt Jessica."

Susan snorted, her voice dripping with sarcasm. "Dad, where did you even dig her up? She smells like a back alley. Try not to get our rugs dirty, okay?"

Caleb's face darkened. "Susan. That's no way to speak to your sister."

Turning to me, his tone softened noticeably. "Mariah, don't mind her. We've spoiled her rotten. You must be tired—why don't you go upstairs and see your room? I've had the staff prepare some new clothes for you."

Dinner was a tense, silent standoff.

The long dining table was laden with exquisite dishes, but I knew better: this was just another minefield.

Jessica kept piling food onto my plate, her smile gentle and maternal. "Mariah, eat more. You're so thin. You must have had a hard time out there."

I played the overwhelmed simpleton, thanking her profusely between mouthfuls, my head bowed low.

Susan stabbed her fork into her steak; the screech of metal on porcelain grated through the tense silence. "Some people just get lucky. They can wallow in the mud and still land in the penthouse. Not like us, born in the lap of luxury. We wouldn't know dirt if it hit us in the face."

I knew exactly who she meant.

I just looked up, all wide-eyed innocence. "Little sister, what does luxury taste like? Is it good?"

"Pfft!" Brian, the defiant one, couldn't hold back a snort of laughter. He swallowed it quickly under Jessica's sharp glare.

Susan's face flushed a deep, ugly red. She was speechless.

Caleb’s brow furrowed deeper.

Lowering my head, I let a faint, icy smile curl at the corner of my mouth.

You want to play mind games? Try someone who didn’t crawl out of hell. Consider my presence a favor.

After dinner, I slipped into the bathroom and locked the door.

I couldn’t hold back any longer. A violent cough wracked my body, nearly buckling my knees. Pressing a hand to my mouth, I felt warm liquid seep through my fingers—it splattered into the stark white sink like a scattering of deadly blossoms.

I turned on the tap, watched the blood swirl away, then fished a blister pack of painkillers from my pocket. Two pills, dry-swallowed.

Relief came quickly, that gnawing inside me slowly receding.

In the mirror, a ghost-pale face stared back. *Hang on, Mariah,* I told myself. *This is day one. You have ninety-two left.*

My phone buzzed.

A text from Douglas—my mother’s old classmate, the only person who knew the whole plan.

*“Your mother has locked herself in her room. Won’t eat or drink. I’ve asked community support to check in more often. You… take care of yourself.”*

I stared at those last words until my eyes burned.

*“Understood. Thank you,”* I typed back, then deleted the entire thread.

No traces. Not one.

From today, I am no longer Mariah.

I am the greedy, cold-blooded, perfect heir Caleb has pinned all his hopes on.

And with this identity, I will drag every single one of them down into the hell I’ve prepared.

For my first week in Caleb’s house, I played the perfect country bumpkin.

I gawked at everything with crude curiosity and naked greed. Whenever Caleb tossed a luxury my way, I fawned over it, clutching each item like a lifeline. Settling into the role came with an ease that should have been alarming.

Caleb was pleased. Jessica and her daughter lowered their guard, dismissing me as a money-hungry rube, easily blinded by the glitter.

The opportunity came quickly.

To launch me formally into high society, Caleb decided to host a grand party that weekend—my introduction to everyone.

Naturally, Susan saw her chance.

The day before the party, she did a complete one-eighty, all sugary sweetness. She came to my room carrying a massive gift box.

“Oh, sis, you just got here—you probably don’t have a proper gown, right? I picked this out especially for you. We sisters can’t embarrass Dad at the party.”

Her smile was sweet, harmless. The picture of a thoughtful little sister.

I opened the box. Inside lay a fluorescent pink strapless gown, plastered with cheap rhinestones and gaudy lace. Tacky to the point of offense. Wearing it would make me the laughingstock of the entire evening.

“Wow, it’s so beautiful!” I gasped, feigning delight, and threw my arms around her. “Thank you, little sister! You’re so good to me!”

A flicker of triumph flashed in Susan’s eyes. She patted my hand. “If you like it, you absolutely have to wear it tomorrow.”

The moment she left, my smile vanished.

Pulling out my phone, I texted Douglas.

Soon, I had what I needed.

The night of the party, the house was packed—glittering gowns, the murmur of expensive perfume.

On Caleb’s arm, I descended the staircase in the fluorescent pink monstrosity Susan had so “thoughtfully” chosen. A wave of stunned and mocking glances followed me.

Caleb’s face turned a shade of green. If not for the crowd, he might have exploded on the spot. Jessica looked mortified, shooting a venomous glare at Susan, who was clearly enjoying the spectacle.

There stood Susan among the guests, a proud peacock in an elegant white cocktail dress, basking in the superiority my apparent stupidity afforded her.

She glided over, her voice dripping with false concern. “Sister, you look so… unique today.”

I beamed back with practiced gratitude. “Really? It’s all thanks to the dress you gave me. I love it so much.”